PPS Proxy Usage Tips

What is a proxy?

A proxy is another person who can manage your PennNet Phone account by logging
into
PPS with their own PennKey
and
password. You assign or remove a proxy from your account using the Proxy Access
feature in PPS. For troubleshooting purposes, your Telephone
Support
Provider
(TSP) also has
access
to your account.

What can your proxy do?

Your designated
proxy can view and change your telephone settings
for Call
Forwarding, Do Not Disturb, and Caller ID. If your school, department, or center
has provided you with voice mail, your proxy can also view and change your
voice mail delivery method, play back controls, and reset your voice mail password.

The person who wants to grant access to their account information is called
the owner. The person who is given access to an account is called the proxy.
When you login to PPS you can easily see who has proxy acess to your account.
The owner can add or remove a proxy form your account at any time, but a proxy
cannot add or remove proxies for your account.

Assigning and accepting proxy access

Assigning or acting as a proxy implies that there is a level of confidentiality
between the account owner and the proxy. Use of PPS and other Penn PennNet Phone
services by account owners and proxies is governed by various University, school,
and departmental policies and regulations. More information about Penn’s
University information security policies, privacy policies, network policies,
and guidelines is available at Computing
Policies and Guidelines.

Account owners are responsible for reviewing and keeping their proxy list
up to date.

When to use proxies

You might want to use a proxy if you need someone to adjust your telephone
or voice mail settings on an ad hoc or ongoing basis. For example, you might
want to give someone proxy access to your account while you are on vacation
or if you are unexpectedly called away from the office. Deans, Directors, Department
Heads, and other University administrators may also want to use a proxy if
they customarily have their voice mail handled by a member of their department.
See also “Alternatives to using a proxy” in
this page.

How to give someone access to your account

To grant access to your account, you will need the person’s (proxy’s)
PennKey so they can log in using their own PennKey and password. Remember,
while it is OK to know another’s PennKey, PennKey passwords should never
be shared. Sharing passwords is a violation of Penn's Policy on Acceptable
Use in the Electronic Computing Environment.

On the PennNet Phone and Voice
Mail page, select the account owner’s phone
number from the Phone Number to View or Update Information dropdown menu.
The phone number you selected appears at the top of the page and the page
displays
the current settings for the account.

When you have finished updating the
account, click Submit. Changes take place immediately.

Click Log Out to
exit the account.

Alternatives to using a proxy

Use the following alternatives if you need help managing incoming calls and
voice mail but do not want to assign a proxy.

Change your voice mail delivery method to Email and Telephone, and
then enter the email address of the person who will manage your voice mail
in the Email Address for Voice Mail Delivery field. This will enable the person
to listen to your messages when they access their email account; it will also
provide you with a copy of incoming calls. You will still need to log into
your voice mailbox and manage these calls (listen, save, delete) on your return.

Use Call Forward All. You can redirect incoming calls to another telephone
(on campus, off campus, or cellular). Please note: the Call Forward All destination number may be displayed to other
PennNet Phone subscribers when this feature is enabled.
And remember, call forwarding can only be
activated via PPS. You cannot activate call forwarding
from your handset.